Ford Focus ST 2014 Review

It sits low and mean, a look accentuated by the well-integrated body kit and the 18-inch alloy wheels. The well fitted-out cabin makes you feel like you’re sitting in something special.

Although the grippy, super-comfortable Recaro seats extract a price in terms of rear-seat accommodation (there’s precious little legroom behind a relatively tall front-seat passenger), the general functionality is pretty much the same as a regular Focus, with a 316-litre boot (the spare is a space-saver) and 60/40 split-fold rear backrest that opens up the load area to 1101 litres.

Vision from the driver’s seat is not best in class, hampered around the C/D-pillar as the upswept window line takes its toll.

On the road, the car’s sporting orientation is evident in tyre-induced road noise, and the intake rasp from the ‘sound symposer’ that channels harmonic elements of the engine into the interior.

It’s a promising sign for the Ford’s build quality, which it has to be said, presented exceptionally well across each of this category’s ten test criteria. Indeed, the Focus near levelled the scores of the much newer MINI Cooper S.

From the presentation of the engine bay to the paint finish and the regularity of the panel gaps, the Focus ST proved convincingly well put together. The interior was likewise of a consistently high quality with plastics and carpets. Even the upholstery showed very few signs of wear.

In fact, the only indication of faltering for the Focus ST came from up the back — the parcel shelf covering the cargo bay had a broken lift-string on the left-hand side.

“It’s a great all-rounder,” said Youlden.

“It pulls well out of corners, has a nice gearshift, and a solid bite when asking for the brakes, which show good resistance to fade.

“But its biggest attribute is its chassis adjustability. It’s the only car here that you can induce corner entry oversteer to help the car turn in. It’s great fun.”

Objectively, the fast Focus ST posted the second slowest lap time (1:01.81). Inside (front) wheelspin and the occasional stability control intervention sapped acceleration.

It also recorded the longest 60-0km/h braking distance (14.7m), though its braking performance was more consistent than most. Off the track, the Focus returned 7.2L/100km in mixed driving, beating the ADR Combined figure by 0.2.

Road testers also enjoyed the Ford’s sharp steering (though the lack of lock is a pain during parking), lovely gearshift and well-resolved ride.

Most of the Focus ST's technology is well integrated, but it's overwhelming to begin with due to the overload of buttons and controls you're faced with

There are 20 buttons on the steering wheel alone, which compares to the Renault's four. The dozen or so buttons and dials on centre console seem to engulf the too-small infotainment screen.

Overall, the cabin looks cool and even the tactile indicator stalks have an angular motif. But the tiny satnav screen is hard to read and the input system not as simple to use as that of the Golf.

All four electric windows are one-touch, the wing mirrors are auto folding and the dual-zone climate control works well.

The Focus’ HVAC system features digital temperature displays and is well organised, contributing to the high-tech look of the cabin.

It is right up there in terms of its power-to-weight ratio and on-track ability: Like the smaller Fiesta ST, the German-built Focus, looks and feels like a legitimate high-performance hatch.

And its value for money quotient is unquestionable.

The Ford is under warranty for three years/100,000km (with roadside assistance for the first year) and comes with fixed-price servicing stretching out to seven years or 135,000km (whichever comes first).

Of the cars tested here, the Focus ST has the lowest resale value percentage. After one year, the Ford is expected to bring a private resale price that is 76 per cent of the new price.